I want to try chicken in one for a friend. The cook book has one recipe for the whole chicken in pieces and it will just fall off the bones. Not sure it will taste too good. Some vegetables, spices and a smidgen of wine...?

Yes, I love cooking with a pressure cooker. However, I do so not only for the reduction in cooking times but because of the flavour and texture that it gives the food which is different than if the same food were to be cooked without pressure. Food is cooked with a softer texture. If you allow most of the water to boil away you can get quite a concentrated flavour, almost caramelised. I like "fall off the bone " meat. The only drawback is that you cannot monitor the progress of the cooking (or add ingredients) whilst the cooker is under pressure and you have to make a guess as to when it's done. However, you can "stir" the ingredients by shaking the pressure cooker.

I fry a joint of meat, add onions, add potatoes, chopped carrots, salt, pepper, bit of chopped garlic, chopped chillies, herbs and then add water and wine and close the lid. Never tried chicken.

I've been cooking in a Kuhn-Rikon 5l cooker for about three years now. I've had great luck with it, although I have yet to cook a whole chicken--even in pieces--in it.

Lorna Sass has written a number of books with both general guidance and recipes; I like "Pressure Perfect."

People who sail boats long distances often use pressure cookers as the reduced cooking times save fuel and minimize heat in the close confines of the boat cabin. Cook books aimed at that market often include a number of pressure cooker recipes. Michael Greenwald's "Cruising Chef Cookbook" has a number of useful recipes.

If you have a West Marine or similar marine supply store nearby you may find a number of choices in their book section.

With regard to your second question, if you don't want the meat to quite fall off the bone, try reducing the cooking time by 10% or so. As noted above, you can't check progress very well, so the learning curve is often over several attempts at a particular recipe.